TOUCEY, Isaac, statesman, born in Newtown, Fairfield County, Connecticut, 5 November, 1796; died in Hartford, Connecticut, 30 July, 1869. He was descended from 'Thomas, first Congregational minister of Newtown. He received a private classical education, studied law, and was admitted to the bar in 1818 at Hartford, where he afterward practised. He was state's attorney for Hartford county in 1822-'5, a representative in congress from the first Connecticut district in 1835-'9, and was again state's attorney for Hartford county in 1842-'4. He was unsuccessful as the Democratic candidate for governor of Connecticut in 1845, and in 1846, there being no choice by the people, was elected by the legislature, but he was again defeated in 1847. He was appointed attorney-general of the United States, serving from 21 June, 1848, till 3 March, 1849, and was also for part of this time acting secretary of state. He was a member of the state senate in 1850, and of the state house of representatives in 1852, and was elected a United States senator from Connecticut as a Democrat, serving from 14 May, 1852, till 3 March, 1857. Mr. Toucey was appointed by President Buchanan secretary of the navy, served from 6 March, 1857, till 3 March, 1861, and afterward returned to Hartford and resumed the practice of his profession. He was charged with favoring the cause of the seceding states while secretary of the navy by deliberately sending some of the best vessels of the navy to distant seas to prevent their being used against the Confederates. This was denied, but he was generally thought to sympathize with the south and to be opposed to prosecution of the war.